Welcome to ART with Mrs. Curtis!

The Language of Art:

You know that every language has its own word system, or vocabulary. Before a person can speak the language, he or she must know at least some of the words in its vocabulary.

The language of art, too, has a vocabulary all its own. Instead of words, however, the vocabulary of art is made up of visual elements. An ELEMENT is a basic visual symbol an artist uses to create visual art. In much the way we put words together to form a sentence, the artist puts the visual elements together to make a visual statement ---a piece of art.

Once you learn the vocabulary (elements) of art, you are ready to then start learning how to put them together. The language of art has rules to follow just as a language has rules of grammar. These guidelines are called the principles of art. A PRINCIPLE is a guideline

that governs the way elements go together.

"Art is an adventure into an unknown world, which can only be explored by those willing to take the risks." - Mark Rothko